Transfer mechanism for feeding harvested crop to a separation unit

Abstract

A combine harvester is provided with a feeder housing; A separation unit including a rotor driven by a shaft is arranged in a rotor housing. The separation unit a feed end and a discharge end; and a transfer mechanism located in the region of the intersection of the feeder housing and the feed end of the separation unit; The transfer mechanism includes a plurality of auger blades connected with the rotor in the region of the feed zone; A rotating element located in the feeder housing has an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of the rotor and above the feed end of the rotor. The rotating element feeds harvested crops to the separation unit from underneath the rotating element's axis of rotation. A transition housing connecting the feeder housing and the rotor housing has a plurality of interior edges forming a feeding opening through the transition housing wherein the interior edge of the transition housing that forms the bottom of the feeding opening is longer than the interior edge that forms the top of the feeding opening. The transition housing projects up to the width of the feeder housing and has a concave bend to accommodate the circumference of the rotating element.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A combine harvester having a feeder housing, a thresher and a separation unit including a rotor driven by a shaft and arranged in a rotor housing, said thresher and separation unit having a feed end and a discharge end, means for mounting said thresher and separation unit at an angle of at least about 30° from a horizontal plane, and a transfer mechanism located in the region of the intersection of the feeder housing and the feed end of the thresher and the separation unit, the transfer mechanism including: 
       a plurality of auger blades rotatably connected with the rotor at the feed end;  
       a rotating element having feeding bars extending crosswise of the rotor, the rotating element having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of the rotor and being located in the feeder housing and above the feed end of the rotor, and means for rotating the rotating element in a direction so that it feeds unthreshed harvested crops from underneath the rotating element's axis of rotation to above the axis of the rotor and onto the rotor:  
       a transition housing connecting the feeder housing and the rotor housing and having a plurality of interior edges forming a feeding opening through the transition housing wherein the interior edge of the transition housing that forms the bottom of the feeding opening is longer than the interior edge that forms the top of the feeding opening, and wherein said transition housing projects up to the width of the feeder housing and has a concave bend to accommodate the circumference of the rotating element; and  
       wherein the interior edge of the transition housing forming the bottom of the feeding opening is provided with at least three floors, each of said floors being at a different height.  
     
     
       2. A combine harvester according to  claim 1 , wherein the floors direct harvested crops into the separation unit at different height levels. 
     
     
       3. A combine harvester according to  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the auger blades is tapered toward the feed end of the separation unit. 
     
     
       4. A combine harvester according to  claim 1 , wherein the clearance between the circumference of the rotating element and the circumference of the auger blades is less than 15 centimeters. 
     
     
       5. A combine harvester according to  claim 1 , further including a rod having a curved surface connected with at least one of the interior edges of the transition housing. 
     
     
       6. A combine harvester according to  claim 1 , further including a bulge in the bottom of the transition housing at the side of the transition housing where the rotor travels upwards as it rotates. 
     
     
       7. A combine harvester according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the floors is provided with a back wall and further including a bearing for the rotor connected with the back wall. 
     
     
       8. A combine harvester according to  claim 7 , further including a mechanical element driven by the rotor shaft, wherein the mechanical element is connected with the back wall. 
     
     
       9. A combine harvester according to  claim 1 , further including guiding rods connected with the bottom of the feeder housing. 
     
     
       10. A combine harvester according to  claim 1 , further including guiding rods connected with the bottom of the transition housing. 
     
     
       11. A combine harvester having a feeder housing, a thresher and separation unit including rotor driven by a shaft and arranged in a rotor housing, said thresher and separation unit having a feed end and a discharge end, means for mounting said thresher and separation unit at an angle of at least about 30° from a horizontal plane, and a transfer mechanism located in the region of the intersection of the feeder housing and the feed end of the thresher and separation unit, the transfer mechanism including: 
       a plurality of auger blades rotatably connected with the rotor at the feed end;  
       a rotating element having feeding bars extending crosswise of the rotor, the rotating element having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of the rotor and being located in the feeder housing and above the feed end of the rotor, and means for rotating the rotating element in a direction so that it feeds unthreshed harvested crops from underneath the rotating element's axis of rotation to above the axis of the rotor and onto the rotor;  
       a transition housing connecting the feeder housing and the rotor housing and having a plurality of interior edges forming a feeding opening through the transition housing wherein the interior edge of the transition housing that forms the bottom of the feeding opening is longer than the interior edge that forms the top of the feeding opening, and wherein said transition housing projects up to the width of the feeder housing and has a concave bend to accommodate the circumference of the rotating element; and  
       wherein the interior edge of the transition housing forming one of the sides of the feeding opening is in the form of a long bow and is unsymmetrical in relation to the opposite interior edge.  
     
     
       12. A combine harvester having a feeder housing, a thresher and separation unit in including a rotor arranged in a rotor housing, said thresher and separation unit having a feed end and a discharge end, means for mounting said thresher and separation unit at relatively steep angle to a horizontal plane, and a transfer mechanism located in the region of the intersection of the feeder housing and the feed end of the thresher and separation unit, the transfer mechanism including: 
       a plurality of auger blades connected with the rotor at the feed end;  
       a rotating element having feeding bars and located in a rear portion of the feeder housing and having an axis of rotation that is coaxial with the rotational axis of the feeder housing and perpendicular to axis of the rotor and above the feed end of the rotor, wherein the rotating element feeds unthreshed harvested crops from underneath the rotating element's axis of rotation to above the axis of the rotor and onto the rotor;  
       a transition housing connecting the feeder housing and the rotor housing, said transition housing having a plurality of interior edges forming a feeding opening through the transition housing;  
       wherein the means for mounting the thresher and separation unit includes a back wall of the rotor housing which supports the feed end of the thresher and separation unit; and  
       further including a rod having a curved surface connected with at least one of the interior edges of the transition housing.  
     
     
       13. A combine harvester according to  claim 12 , wherein the interior edge of the transition housing forming the bottom of the feeding opening is provided with a plurality of floors, each of said floors being at a different height. 
     
     
       14. A combine harvester according to  claim 13 , wherein the floors direct harvested crops into the separation unit at different height levels. 
     
     
       15. A combine harvester according to  claim 12 , wherein the interior edge of the transition housing forming one of the sides of the feeding opening is in the form of a long bow and is unsymmetrical in relation to the opposite interior edge. 
     
     
       16. A combine harvester according to  claim 12 , wherein the clearance between the circumference of the rotating element and the circumference of the auger blades is less than 15 centimeters. 
     
     
       17. A combine harvester according to  claim 12 , further including a bulge in the bottom of the transition housing at the side of the transition housing where the rotor travels upwards as it rotates. 
     
     
       18. A combine harvester according to  claim 12 , further including guiding rods operatively connected with the bottom of the feeder housing and the transition housing. 
     
     
       19. A transition cowling for a combine harvester having a thresher rotor with a non-level tapered crew auger and having a feeder on an axis substantially perpendicular to an axis of the threshing rotor, said cowling comprising; 
       a receiving margin adapted to receive crop from the feeder;  
       an output aperture having a lower floor at a level at least as high as a lower end of the tapered screw auger, a downward side edge continuous with said lower floor and tapered such that said output aperture is widest where said downward side edge meets said lower floor;  
       said output aperture further having an upper floor continuous with an untapered upward side edge, said upper floor being oriented relative to the tapered screw auger such that crop output by said upper floor is received by the tapered screw auger above the narrowest width of the tapered screw auger; and  
       said output aperture having an intermediate floor laterally between said lower floor and said upper floor, said intermediate floor being higher than said lower floor and said intermediate floor being lower than said upper floor.  
     
     
       20. The cowling of  claim 19  further comprising a guide plane in operative communication said upward side edge and oriented to bias output crop in a substantially lateral, medial direction. 
     
     
       21. The cowling of  claim 19  wherein said receiving margin is concave. 
     
     
       22. The cowling of  claim 19  wherein each of said floors is substantially flat. 
     
     
       23. The cowling of  claim 19  wherein said floors are stepped. 
     
     
       24. The cowling of  claim 19  further comprising a rod along a portion of said output aperture and disposed to be in close operative communication with an edge of a blade of the tapered screw auger. 
     
     
       25. The cowling of  claim 24  wherein said rod is located substantially along said downward side edge. 
     
     
       26. The cowling of  claim 19  further including a lateral bulge for accommodating a drive train shaft.